Cybersecurity Hazards in Augmented and Virtual Reality

Some of the main security and privacy risks of VR and AR, as well as some possible solutions, are listed below

A rising number of people are worried about the security of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), which are becoming more and more popular and the center of the new digital era. The hardware of virtual reality headsets and the interfaces of virtual keyboards, according to researchers from the University of California, Riverside, may present new chances for hackers. Researchers have shown that surveillance software can watch users' every move and, using artificial intelligence, translate it into written speech or text with 90% accuracy.

As a result, hackers may be able to observe how users interact with various applications and even gain access to personal information and password input using virtual keyboards. The researchers go on to say that bad actors can take advantage of how people move and speak, as well as how they type on virtual keyboards. They can watch applications as users launch them and pinpoint the precise location of other people near the headset user.

The researchers have produced two study papers to illustrate these hazards. The first study, "It's all in your head(set): Side-channel assaults on AR and VR systems," investigates how hackers can take advantage of users' body motions to pinpoint the location of other people near the user. The second article, "Going through the motions: AR/VR keylogging from user head motions," examines the security risks posed by virtual keyboards and demonstrates how hackers might obtain password information by observing users' head motions.

Before implementing these technologies on a bigger scale, the goal of these articles is to increase awareness and offer transparency to the technology industry. The researchers want to persuade the big tech companies to deal with these cybersecurity risks and put in place the required security measures.